' the Daedalus, were the primary objedts of our confideration; and by the
t-— ,~~i orderly and docile behaviour of all claffes.pf the inhabitants, this, bufinefs-
was carried into execution with a degree of facility,; and confidence in
our perfeft fecurity, equal to the accommodation that could poffibly have
been obtained in any port of Europe.
There were not at this time many of the principal chiefs in our neighbourhood.
Our former friend Kahowmotoo paid us an early vilit, with
a prelent of twenty large hogs, and a proportionable quantity of vegetables.
He was not,, however, in his ufually cheerful good ipiritsi but
was much depreffed, in confequence of a violent indifpofition under
which his favorite fon Whokaa laboured, from a wound he. had received
in the exercife of throwing the fpear with a man of mean rank. After
a long contention for fuperiority, their play, it feemed, terminated in
earneft, and the young chief received his adverfary’s fpear, which was
barbed, in the throat. Much difficulty had attended its being taken out,
which had occafioned a wound that had baffled all their art to cure, and
had reduced him to the laft ftage of his exiftence. His antagonift was
foon feized, and the next day his eyes were pulled out, and, after re,
maining in that deplorable Hate two days, he was executed, by being
ftrangled with a rope.
As fome of the gentlemen intended to accompany Mr. Menzies on an
excurfion into the interior part of the country, they were, agreeably to
Thurfday>6; our plan of regulations, attended by a chief of the village of Kakooa
withfeveral of the king’s people, who had direftions to fapply all their
wants, and to afford them every affiftance and fervice that they might
require.
The harmony that had attended the execution of all our employments
had fo facilitated the equipment of the veffels, that, by the following
Tuefdayai. tuefday, the bufinefs in the Difcovery’s hold was in that ftate of forward-
nefs as to permit our attending to other objefts. The aftronomical department
claimed myfirft thoughts; and being of fuch material importance,
I was anxious to lofe no time in fending the tents, obfervatory,
and inftruments, on fhore, now that a party could be afforded for their
protection. On this occafion I was furprized to find the king make fome
objeftions
objeftions to their being erecled in their former fituation, near the morai;
giving us as | reafofl, that he could not fanftion our .inhabiting the tabooed
lands, without previoufly obtaining the permiffion o f an old woman,
who, we underhand, was the daughter of the venerable Kaoo, and wife
to the treacherous Kook* Being totally unacquainted before, that
the women ever poffefled the leaft authority over their confecrated pla- account of
ces, or religious ceremonies, v this circumftance much furprized me, death,
efpecially as the* king feemed to be apprehenfive of receiving a refufal
from this old Jady; and which, after waiting on lhore for fome time,
proved to be the cafe. Tarmahmaah obferying my difappointment, in-
treated me to fix upon fome other part of the b ay; but as it was eafily
made obvious to his underftanding that no other fpot would be equally convenient,
he inflantly affembledLome of the principal priefts of the morai,
and after having a ferious conference with them, he acquainted me, that
we were at liberty to occupy the confecrated ground as formerly, which
we accordingly took poffeffion of the next morning. Wednef. 22.
Mr. Whidbey, who had charge of the encampment, attended it on
.fhore. under a guard of fix marines; thefe were fent, however, more
for the fake of form than for neceffity; as Tamaahmaah had appointed
one of his half brothers, Trywh/tokee, a chief of fome confequence, together
with feveral' o f the priefts, to protect,' and render the party on
fhore every fervice their fituation might demand. T o this fpot, as on
our former vifit, none were admitted but thofe of the fociety of priefts,
the principal chiefs, and fome few of their male attendants ; no women,
on any pretence whatever, being ever admitted within the facred limits
of the morai.
The unfortunate fon o f Kahowmotoo had been brought by his father
from one of his principal places of refidence, about fix miles north
of the bay where the unfortunate accident happened, to the village of
Kowrowa, in order to benefit by fuch medical or other affiftance as we
might be able to afford, but without effeft; for in the afternoon he
breathed his laft.
The periodical taboo, that ought to have commenced the following
evening, was, on this occafion, fufpended, to manifeft that they were
offended